Well, it's disturbing to see this news...
U.S. intelligence officials received "several" credible reports that terrorist groups like Al Qaeda may be planning an attack during one of the major events scheduled for this summer, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Wednesday.The intelligence was described Tuesday by another senior counterterrorism official as extremely credible and backed by an unusually high level of corroboration.
The intelligence does not include a time, place or method of attack but is among the most disturbing received by the government since the Al Qaeda attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the official said.
"There is clearly a steady drumbeat of information that they are going to attack and hit us hard," said another senior federal counterterrorism official, who described the intelligence as highly credible.
... following an earlier report from strategic intelligence firm Stratfor that Houston is the most likely target. The opportunities here do include a "major event" - major league baseball's All-Star Game on July 13.
The FBI has scheduled a news conference later today to announce more details about the threat. Just in case, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security has a website that gives advice on how to prepare for a terrorist attack.
UPDATE: Atty. General Ashcroft and FBI Director Mueller did hold their news conference today. In an act of unrelenting cynicism, a national co-chair of the Kerry campaign promptly accused them of a publicity stunt.
In a conference call with reporters arranged by the presidential campaign of Democrat John Kerry, who is challenging U.S. President George W. Bush, leaders of two police and firefighter unions said they suspect the timing of the warning had more to do with Bush's political standing than with any recent revelation by U.S. intelligence."I'm not accusing them of making it up," said Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters and a national co-chair of Kerry's campaign. "My understanding is that the information, the chatter they refer to, has actually been available for a number of weeks. I find it incredible that it is only now that it is being brought forward."
That drew this response:
Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the Bush campaign, said the comments by the union heads were "very disturbing" and showed a "serious misunderstanding of the threat of global terror."
Well, no kidding. The word "serious" should not suffer from guilt by association with the Kerry campaign.